To cut costs and improve patient care, the NHS is looking to technology more than ever before. Under its latest proposals, Britain's healthcare service wants to introduce free wi-fi across all of its hospitals, giving doctors and nurses the ability to use tablets on the wards. The hope is that this will reduce paper waste and speed up administrative tasks, giving staff some extra time to visit their patients. It also opens up the possibility for patients to wear wearables, such as skin sensors. Patients with diabetes, for instance, could then be monitored around the clock to help doctors spot early signs of deterioration.

If there are any doubts left that health care data breaches are a major problem, the medical industry just put them to rest. Researchers have published a study showing that a whopping 29.1 million American health records were compromised between 2010 and 2013. Most of them (58 percent) were exposed through theft, but the rest were revealed through a mix of hacks and carelessness, including workers who gave unauthorized access or didn't properly get rid of info they no longer needed.

Whisper it, but if the trend at London's Wearable Technology Show is any indication then the future of wearables may not be in fitness. Yesterday, Apple announced a medical research platform in the form of Research kit and less than 24 hours afterward, the dominant theme is not about pleasing marathon runners. "There's a kudos in sport," says Smartlife's Martin Ashby -- one of the exhibitors at the show. "But the future of wearables is in health and wellbeing." It's a bold statement from the CEO of a smart sportswear company, but is it true that companies are looking to ditch fitness fans in favor of hospitals? If you're curious to read what others believe, keep reading. Slideshow-271042

Healthcare.gov just can't catch a break -- it's been targeted by hackers and shared personal information with marketing companies in the past six months, and now it's trying to clean up a mess for the nearly 800,000 people it just sent incorrect tax information to. The Obama administration confirmed the issue earlier this morning, and officials promised on the Healthcare.gov blog to contact affected households via phone call and email over the next few days. Needless to say, don't file your taxes yet if you signed up for health insurance using the site this past year. Better safe than sorry, right?

A few days ago an Associated Press report revealed that the US Government's affordable care portal Healthcare.gov was passing detailed information on to third parties. Now the AP tests reveal those links have been scaled back. Previously, the Eelectronic Freedom Foundation discovered that the site was passing on details like age, pregnancy status, smoking status and more via the URL, which would bypass even protections like enabling Do Not Track in your browser. The data that embedded services like DoubleClick, ChartBeat, Google or Twitter received was apparently anonymous and supposedly barred from use for business interests, but it theoretically could be matched up with other information to identify and target users with ads. The Obama Administration responded to the initial complaints by saying the data was intended for use to improve the website itself, but so far hasn't commented on the changes. For concerned users, the EFF recommends using a tool like its Privacy Badger to block websites from sending your personal information on to third parties.

Outbreaks of lethal viruses like Ebola are bad enough by themselves, but they're made worse by having to send in aid workers -- these people can quickly become victims, no matter how careful they are. To eliminate that risk, both the White House and a trio of educational institutions are holding workshops on November 7th where scientists will discuss using robots to tackle the current Ebola crisis. The goal is to minimize physical contact whenever possible while keeping patients and families in touch. At a basic level, they'd like machines to disinfect areas and deliver supplies. Telepresence robots, meanwhile, could both let people visit patients without putting themselves in danger.

Philips is no stranger to the healthcare industry, and with a new sensor, it's looking to further dive into medical wearables for real-world use. The company developed a gadget for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) sufferers that's worn inside a disposable adhesive patch, continuously gathering diagnostic stats like heart rate, respiratory function and physical activity (or inactivity). All of the data is collected on the sensor, transferred to the patient's mobile device and uploaded to a cloud-based healthcare repository. The tech, which was co-developed with Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, allows doctors to monitor patients from afar and assess an episode before things get too severe. According to Philips, this is just the first in a line of low-cost sensors in the works to monitor chronic medical conditions in real time.

With Google and Apple both launching health-related products earlier this year, it's not surprising that Facebook's conjuring up its own -- according to Reuters, anyway. The news agency says Facebook has been talking to medical industry experts and is in the early stages of building a research and development team for mobile apps and tools. In addition to possible health apps, the company's also reportedly creating online support communities to connect users afflicted with the same illnesses. That's apparently a product of employees' observation that people tend to look for advice about their ailments on the social network. While Facebook has long been looking into offering healthcare apps and services, what drove it to take things seriously was its wildly successful organ donor status launch in 2012. Sure, people might have just signed up to donate their organs for the bragging rights, but at least that launch day caused registrations to skyrocket to 13,054 from the daily average of 616.

IBM Research's Jim Hedrick has a great job. His work on polymers -- those repeating chains of macromolecules that make up most things in our world, like the computer or phone you're reading this on -- has led to the creation of substances with Marvel Comics-worthy descriptors. There's the self-healing, Wolverine-like substance that arose from a recycled water bottle and something called "ninja particles" that'll advance the reality of nanomedicine. Both discoveries will inevitably make their way into consumer products in the near future, but it's his team's progress on nanomedicine that Hedrick discussed during my visit to IBM Research's sprawling Almaden lab in San Jose, California.

Reports circulated last week that the US Chief Technical Officer would step down soon, and now the White House has confirmed the news to Wired. Todd Park, the man who led the charge to retool the government's use of tech, will remain an adviser to the administration from Silicon Valley, where he'll work to reboot the federal government's IT systems. "Todd has been, and will continue to be, a key member of my administration," President Barack Obama told the site in a statement. Prior to his post as US CTO, he worked under the same title for the Department of Health and Human Services. Park oversaw the much-maligned relaunch of Healthcare.gov and hired some of the Valley's talent to government positions. Family reasons were cited as the main cause for the move as Park and his wife sought to relocate back to the San Francisco area.

In April and June, one of the largest hospital networks in the US was hacked. Community Health Systems says that cyber attacks originating in China stole the personal details of 4.5 million patients including names, addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates and Social Security numbers. In a regulatory filing, the company explained that an investigation into the breach showed "methods and techniques" used were similar to those employed by a group that's been active in the country. Said group usually goes after intellectual property (like medical equipment data) according to the report, so the company doesn't believe that the personal info would be exploited. What's more, both credit card numbers and clinical data weren't touched. Community Health Systems says it's removed the hackers' malware, and is in the process of notifying patients involved across its 206 hospitals that span 29 states.

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Mon, 18 Aug 2014 16:04:00 -040021|20948594http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/16/recommended-reading-8-16-14/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/16/recommended-reading-8-16-14/http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/16/recommended-reading-8-16-14/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsRecommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.

By now, you've likely heard details surrounding the botched rollout of Healtchcare.gov meant to expedite the process of US citizens signing up for the Affordable Care Act. Well, the government has sunk a billion dollars into the site so far, and a recent Government Accountability Office report took an in-depth look to see exactly what went wrong. Of course, the project was slated to wrap up on launch day last October, but is now said to be in development until the end of the year.

If you think that Google has got enough of your personal data, think again. In an interview with the New York Times, Larry Page has said that he wants access to your medical records, but don't worry, it's all for your own good. In describing how Google's services frequently outrageprivacy advocates before their potential (and usefulness) is known, the company chief said that regulations surrounding patient data is harming people. In fact, Page makes the bold claim that if Google was given the right to mine healthcare data, it'd "probably save 100,000 lives next year." It's a bold claim, but isn't it the same line that the NSA has taken over the last few months?

Zesty.co.uk launched this time last year as an online portal for booking last-minute dentist appointments at clinics across London. While it's no doubt been useful for anyone that needs an emergency (and likely extortionately priced) filling, the site has now expanded to help you access other healthcare services at short notice. Whether you're in need of a chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist or sexual health professional, you can use Zesty to check for open appointments in your local area. You can even book in to see a GP, but only at private clinics -- for a short-notice slot at your own NHS surgery, we're afraid you'll still have to be on the phone by 7am. In its quest to "make healthcare appointments as easy as ordering a pizza," Zesty plans to go almost UK-wide later this year and release a native app to compliment its mobile-optimised site. Before you get the wrong impression from Zesty's strange tagline and accompanying imagery: your pizza delivery guy is not qualified to give medical advice.

Want to know why health care institutions can be antsy about making their patient data available online? Here's why: Columbia University and the New York and Presbyterian Hospital have paid a total of $4.8 million to settle charges after they inadvertently leaked the records of 6,800 patients to the web in 2010. The organizations allegedly didn't do enough to identify systems that had sensitive info, leaving them unprepared when a physician switched off a personal server that was keeping the records private. Both outlets are overhauling their policies in the wake of the settlement, so a repeat incident is less likely. Still, the breach is a not-so-friendly reminder that there are big risks to putting medical histories on networked computers -- your data is only as safe as the system it's on.

The White House promised that it would open up government data last year, and it's now expanding those plans in some intriguing directions. For one, it's opening up the Smithsonian American Art Museum's digitized collection; you'll soon get to build apps and other tools using the institution's artwork as a foundation. Even curators don't have that much access right now, the administration says.

Technology problem? Easy, just hit the Mayday button (if you have one) or sign up for Google Helpouts and within a few minutes, you'll instantly connect to an expert. Compare that with selecting a healthcare plan, or making trips to the clinic, and medicine can seem a little old-fashioned. Better is looking to change that with an iOS app that offers both a concierge to help you navigate your HMO's bureaucracy, but also to offer instant access to the physicians at the Mayo Clinic when you're feeling unwell. The app is launching from today, setting you back $49 a month, and while it's currently not covered by any insurance plans, there are some incentives to help soften the blow.

The woman in charge of guiding United States health policy and the figurehead of Healthcare.gov, Kathleen Sebelius, is reportedly resigning from her position. Bloomberg cites sources within the Obama administration with the news; it's unclear if her resignation has anything to do with the rocky rollout of the Obama administration's health care website. The official announce of the news is expected for tomorrow.

We tend to forget that many companies celebrated for their shiny things also have significant interest in health care; everyone gets sick, after all. Sony is one of this gang, producing medical-gradeequipment and the like under its own name, as well as buying up and investing in outfits that have other, specific expertise. Starting February 2014, Sony will also become part owner of P5, a new venture that'll provide human genome analysis in Japan, which just happens to be one of the world's largest pharmaceutical/biotechnology markets. With help from M3, which Sony's invested in, and DNA specialists Illumina, P5's quest is also to marry genetic data with other info, like medical histories, to make headway in the area of personalized medicine (where therapies are selected for the individual, not just the affliction). We doubt Kaz Hirai will be heavily involved, aside from his efforts to find the "Xbox fanboy gene" and any way to silence it, of course.

Health care devices are, once again, all the rage at this year's CES, and Scanadu's got one of the more ambitious offerings. The company's Scout device aims to be a $150 Star Trek-esque tricorder that'll give users readings for heart and breathing rate, temperature, blood pressure and blood oxygenation levels. We've got the company's founder and CEO Walter de Brouwer to discussion his vision for the future of health care.

January 7, 2014 6:00:00 PM EST

Follow all the latest CES 2014 news at our event hub, and check out our full stage schedule here.

Google's making a long-term business bet that, at first glance, may seem out of the ordinary: it's getting into healthcare. Its new company, Calico, will be focused on addressing the illnesses affecting the geriatric community, as well as aging in general. In Google CEO Larry Page's own words, the new enterprise, headed up by current Apple and Genentech chair Arthur D. Levinson, is geared towards "moonshot thinking around healthcare and biotechnology," so expect some pretty futuristic developments to come from the initiative.

In an interview given to Time magazine, Page said that Calico will re-evaluate traditional thinking and approaches to healthcare, like cancer research, the advancement of which he concludes might "not [be] as big an advance as you might think." Page isn't dismissing that vein of research altogether, but claims any cures could only add about three years to a survivor's life -- a trivial gain in the long-run. Though he was willing to go on record with what's wrong with the current state of healthcare R&D, Page wouldn't elaborate as to what future products Calico could produce, saying only that Google, with its vast resources, should be doing more to contribute to the world's greater good.

Interested in upgrading your eyeballs? Well, a team of DARPA-funded researchers led by Joseph Ford of UC San Diego recently published a proposal for a new type of telescopic contact lens in Optics Express. Designed for people with age-related macular degeneration, the lenses are only 1.17mm thick and can magnify images up to 2.8 times. Their layered construction admits light near the outer edge of the lens, bouncing it across a series of tiny aluminum mirrors before transmitting it to the back of the retina, kind of like the origami-optics lens. Telescopic sight can be toggled on and off by using a pair of 3D glasses to switch the polarization of the central part of the lens. It sounds promising, but the lenses -- pictured after the break -- currently have some obstacles, like gas-impermeable materials unsuitable for long-term wear and sub-par image quality. Want to read more? Pop on your glasses and check out the full paper at the source link below.

We've seen Emotiv's Epoc headset control cars and trapeze acts, but now a small posse of students at Columbia University is teaching it how to control a robotic arm. The appendage, aptly named ARM for Assistive Robotic Manipulator, was envisioned as a wheelchair attachment to help the disabled. According to the team, the goal was to keep costs in the neighborhood of $5,000 since insurance outfits Medicare and Medicaid won't foot a bill for assistive tech that's much more than $10,000. To keep costs low, the crew built the limb from laser cut wood, and managed to keep the final price tag at $3,200. Since picking up EEG signals and interpreting them accurately can be tricky, the group says it settled on monitoring EMG waves, which are triggered by muscle movements, for additional reliability.

Lifting your eyebrows makes the device open its grip, clenching your teeth shuts it and moving your lips to the left and right twists the claw, while other motions are currently handled by using a PlayStation 2 controller. In the lab, the contraption has seven degrees of freedom, but it was reduced to five when we took it for a spin. It was hit or miss when this editor put the headgear on, between making sure facial gestures were spot on and the equipment's attempts to pick up clear signals.Gallery-187534

TitanArm already took home silver in a competition for senior projects at the University of Pennsylvania, and now the team behind it is visiting Orlando to compete in the Intel-sponsored Cornell Cup for embedded design. We stopped by the showroom and snagged a few minutes with the crew to take a look at their creation: an 18-pound, untethered, self-powered exoskeleton arm constructed for less than $2,000.

To wield the contraption, users attach the cable-driven mechanical appendage to themselves with straps from a military-grade hiking backpack, and guide it with a thumbstick on a nunchuck-like controller. If a load needs to be held in place, the wearer can jab a button on the hand-held control to apply a brake. A Beagle Bone drives the logic for the setup, and it can stream data such as range of motion wirelessly to a computer. As for battery-life, they group says the upper-body suit has previously squeezed out over 24 hours of use without having to recharge.Gallery-187514

It's no wonder people are interested in exoskeletons. Not only do they tap into our lust for the technology of science fiction movies, but among other applications, can make a significant impact on the lives of those living with disabilities. While many offer leg support, a team from University of Pennsylvania recently took silver in an engineering competition for its TitanArm prototype, a powered upper-body exoskeleton that, as the picture above shows, allows you to out-rep anyone at the gym.

Designed to be lightweight and cheap to produce, the robotic bicep upgrade uses a (mostly) aluminum frame, battery-powered DC motor, cable drive system, racket braking and thumbstick controller for movement, with a BeagleBone board supervising the electronics that pull it all together. The group at UPenn imagines TitanArm could be employed as a lifting aid, but more importantly, in healthcare applications like increasing mobility or physical therapy -- sensors and other data from the exoskeleton could even allow docs to monitor patients remotely. More info on the project can be found at the source link, while a video below shows TitanArm in use and outlines the hardware that makes those heavy hammer curls a cinch.